Integrating

I don't know about you but this summer has been...let's say intense. My friends in Astrology, gave me the context of what's going in the Universe and oh! yeah, it's a lot (not in a bad way), especially with this whole year with Jupiter being in Scorpio till November. Since I got so many messages about this, also talking with clients and friends that are all going through similar things (regardless if you believe in it or not), today I'm writing about something that undoubtedly touches all of us, which is integrating our duality.

Integration is a word we I use a lot in my teachings and practices. We think of the spiritual path as something we need to be "ready" to start or when we are a more evolved person then we can begin the path. Nonetheless, it's quite the opposite.

If there's such a thing as a spiritual path (which I'm not really inclined to the term). We can also call it a more aware, compassionate mindful way of living or however it feels right for you. In any case, what happens is simply that we start where we are, the way we are. We open up for possibilities of acceptance, of compassion. We integrate the parts of us that have more clarity, more love, more expansion and the other parts of us that feel more blocked, more shame, more fear.

Here's the thing, according to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, we have a subconscious level, which is the reservoir of all of our experiences, habits, stories, everything we went through that somewhat formed our personalities and our inclinations.

Then we have a superconscious level, which is our potential, our expansion, our creative highest Self. The battle field is our conscious level, where we get to live this duality, this push and pull. All these levels are constantly working in the background and the forefront.

If we are aware enough to notice our tendencies - the contracted ones and the most expanded ones which can be translated to our fearful, angry, blaming, victim parts or generous, compassionate, flexible, loving parts. There's more clarity on how they are constantly showing up, in the most simple decisions to the most complex questions of our lives. When we notice it, we can see more clearly how we get caught right in the middle ground, in the battle between the two ends of the spectrum and we are always left with a choice. If there's any starting point, at this so called spiritual path, this is it.

Recognizing, first, all parts of us when faced with triggered situations and relationships. Recognizing the hurtful, fearful, angry parts as well as the loving, generous, creative ones. By integrating it, we can see how the dance unfolds according to what is put in front of us. We can understand that it's not black or white, good or bad, ready or not ready. It's about wholeness, standing tall on our ground with all we are, with all the inclinations and the duality in us, knowing that in fact we need it all, to learn, to move forward, to discover more about who we are.